HPCA baseball cruises past SouthLake
May. 09, 2015 @ 11:03 PM
Greer Smith
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HIGH POINT —
High Point Christian Academy’s wasn’t baffled by SouthLake Christian’s pitching on Saturday.
The third-seeded Cougars scored in all but the first inning as they raked two Eagles’ hurlers for 13 hits and cruised to a 9-1 victory in the second round of the NCISSA 3A baseball playoffs at Oak View Baptist Church.
HPCA moves on to play at second-seeded Charlotte Christian in the semifinals on Tuesday.
“We talked about mental focus and coming and playing with intensity, and the guys responded really well,” HPCA coach Corey Gesell said.
The Cougars (22-2-1) played a little long ball, some small ball and some in between.
Zach McLean put up the best numbers, going 4 for 4 with a two-run homer, three RBIs and two runs scored.
“He’s been out here early on practice days, hitting off tees and working,” Gesell said. “He’s put in the time and i being a good leader for our team.”
Curtis Dillon was 3 for 4 with an RBI double and two runs scored. Josh Nifong was 1 for 3 with two RBIs. Austin Hendley was 1 for 4 with two RBIs.
Four of the runs and nine of the hits came against starter and loser David Stowers, who left with two outs and two on in the fourth. Andrew Naspinski went the rest of the way for the sixth-seeded Eagles (17-7). He held the Cougars much in check until giving up four runs in the sixth.
“We wanted to have good at bats against their pitchers,” Gesell said. “They’ve had a good year. They beat Charlotte Christian last Saturday, and they’ve beaten some other good teams as well. We knew they were a good, scrappy team. We didn’t want to waste at bats and for the most part we did that.”
HPCA got on the board in the second on Nifong’s single that scored Dillon, who had doubled. In the third, Dillion laced a double to score McLean, and Hendley lofted a sacrifice fly that scored Bailey Edwards, who had walked.
In the fourth, McLean delivered an RBI single that was the third of three straight hits. In the fifth, Dillon scored on a Nifong grounder to first, after winding up at third thanks to a misplay on a throw from shortstop to first.
McLean delivered the big blow in the sixth, sending a shot over the fence in dead center field with Timmy Fischvogt on first. Hendley capped the scoring by lacing an RBI triple and was awarded home when the throw attempting to get him at third went out of play.
Nifong was the winning pitcher.
SouthLake’s other serious threat came in the second when the Eagles put runners on first and second with none out. HPCA managed to get a inning-ending double-play that got the runner going to second, missed the batter going to first and ended in first baseman Dylan Wilkinson throwing to the plate to get the runner trying to score from second.
May. 09, 2015 @ 11:03 PM
Greer Smith
Login
HIGH POINT —
High Point Christian Academy’s wasn’t baffled by SouthLake Christian’s pitching on Saturday.
The third-seeded Cougars scored in all but the first inning as they raked two Eagles’ hurlers for 13 hits and cruised to a 9-1 victory in the second round of the NCISSA 3A baseball playoffs at Oak View Baptist Church.
HPCA moves on to play at second-seeded Charlotte Christian in the semifinals on Tuesday.
“We talked about mental focus and coming and playing with intensity, and the guys responded really well,” HPCA coach Corey Gesell said.
The Cougars (22-2-1) played a little long ball, some small ball and some in between.
Zach McLean put up the best numbers, going 4 for 4 with a two-run homer, three RBIs and two runs scored.
“He’s been out here early on practice days, hitting off tees and working,” Gesell said. “He’s put in the time and i being a good leader for our team.”
Curtis Dillon was 3 for 4 with an RBI double and two runs scored. Josh Nifong was 1 for 3 with two RBIs. Austin Hendley was 1 for 4 with two RBIs.
Four of the runs and nine of the hits came against starter and loser David Stowers, who left with two outs and two on in the fourth. Andrew Naspinski went the rest of the way for the sixth-seeded Eagles (17-7). He held the Cougars much in check until giving up four runs in the sixth.
“We wanted to have good at bats against their pitchers,” Gesell said. “They’ve had a good year. They beat Charlotte Christian last Saturday, and they’ve beaten some other good teams as well. We knew they were a good, scrappy team. We didn’t want to waste at bats and for the most part we did that.”
HPCA got on the board in the second on Nifong’s single that scored Dillon, who had doubled. In the third, Dillion laced a double to score McLean, and Hendley lofted a sacrifice fly that scored Bailey Edwards, who had walked.
In the fourth, McLean delivered an RBI single that was the third of three straight hits. In the fifth, Dillon scored on a Nifong grounder to first, after winding up at third thanks to a misplay on a throw from shortstop to first.
McLean delivered the big blow in the sixth, sending a shot over the fence in dead center field with Timmy Fischvogt on first. Hendley capped the scoring by lacing an RBI triple and was awarded home when the throw attempting to get him at third went out of play.
Nifong was the winning pitcher.
SouthLake’s other serious threat came in the second when the Eagles put runners on first and second with none out. HPCA managed to get a inning-ending double-play that got the runner going to second, missed the batter going to first and ended in first baseman Dylan Wilkinson throwing to the plate to get the runner trying to score from second.
